Cactus Flower
by sombreromoustache
Summary: A desert wanderer meets the most beautiful flower in the desert.


A large white mare walked across the desert sands. Its rider bopped up and down to each hoof that stomped into the sands. The rider wore a black hat that blocked the sun from her blue eyes and her black shoulder-length hair. She held a pipe in her mouth, and every few seconds, she puffed out a cloud of smoke.

She reached for her pouch and squeezed out the last water she had.

"We need some more water, Naga," she looked at her mare's feed, "Looks like you need feed too."

The rider pulled out her pipe and puffed out the last smoke she had. She tapped the burn tobacco out of her pipe and reached for some more, but found an empty bag.

The rider sighed, "C'mon Naga. Let's go find a town."

The rider whipped Naga's reins, and the mare ran across the desert.

* * *

By the afternoon, the rider had made it to a town. She heard the sounds of laughter in a bar and rode Naga to it. She got off her mare and tethered it near a tank of water. She walked inside and ignored every stare at her. She pulled a bar stool up for her and sighed when she sat down.

She heard laughter from the other side of the bar, "What are you doing here? Don't you know this is a man's joint?"

She looked at the man with a group of friends sitting on the other edge of the bar, "Why don't you come outside and show me how man you are?" she felt the revolver at her side.

"Shouldn't be giving any of you damn Indians a piece," he remarked.

She bit her lip before she could bark at him.

"Can I get you anything?"

The rider looked up at the bartender. She wore a red dress, with a pink cactus flower in her raven black hair. The rider couldn't stop staring into her green eyes.

"HEY ASAMI! I COULD USE A DRINK!" the man who insulted him yelled at Asami.

"I'LL GET YOU ONE IN A SECOND!" she yelled at him, "What did you need?"

The rider looked away, "Bottle of brandy. Tobacco."

Asami got her what she ordered and brought a shot glass with her, "I don't need a glass."

"I'll take that glass back if you tell me your name," Asami teased her.

The rider grabbed the bottle of scotch and popped the cap off, "Korra. Thank for the drink," she dropped gold coins on the table.

Korra watched her serve the other men before she sipped her brandy. She took a deep breath and lowered her hat over her eyes, while she drank her brandy.

While she drank her scotch, a group of men surrounded her.

"I don't know if you know this, but we fought against you redskins a long time for this town, and we don't like when one of their women is drinking among us," he moved so he could yell in her ear, "So I suggest you get out of town while me and my friends are in a good mood."

"And if I don't?" Korra asked.

Asami looked at the group surrounding Korra with a worried eye.

"Then we show you the way out,"

Korra grabbed her bottle of brandy and chugged it all down, and looked at the man in his eyes. She stood up and lugged him into the ground. She moved away from the group and moved her body into a fighting position.

"It's a good thing I'm a little too drunk for this," Korra smiled and threw her hat at Asami as one of the men lunged at her.

Korra tripped him and threw him out the bar, while another man threw a punch. She dodged his arm and punched him in the stomach. The large man fell over.

"Any of you want some of this?" Korra popped her neck, "I've got plenty where it came from."

The man who was thrown outside grabbed Korra from behind and held her up by her arms. The other men came toward her. Korra lifted her legs and kicked two men in the head, and flipped herself over the man, grabbed his arms and twisted them. The man yelped out in pain.

One of the men knocked the man down, knocking Korra over. Korra pushed the man off of her, but was met with kick all over her body. She was stomped, kicked, and shoved all over, feeling nothing but pain.

Pain. She was used to it at this point. Everywhere she went, she would meet it. Why was this place any different?

The pain stopped.

Asami had fired a rifle in the air, "ALL OF YOU! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY BAR! Y'ALL BETTER GET YOUR ASSES HOME BEFORE THE SHERIFF GETS HERE!"

Everyone with a right mind set hauled their asses out of the bar before they met a bullet. One of the men before they left, was about to kick Korra before Asami pointed her rifle at him.

"Lay a hand on her and you're gonna hope the sheriff shows up real soon," Asami aimed at his head.

The man obeyed and ran out of her bar. Korra watched Asami hold up her gun at them as they left, but her eyes stung from one of their spit.

She shouted and rubbed her eye with her arm, but a pale arm stopped her.

"You're gonna get your eye red from doing that," Asami warned her, "Here, let me get it."

Asami pulled out her hankey and cleaned Korra's eye and all the blood on her face.

"You're too kind to me," Korra muttered.

"It's nothing much. I don't like people fighting in my bar. I like to keep the peace here," Asami smiled.

Korra let Asami clean her entire face, looking at her face the entire time.

"Thanks, but I shouldn't be giving you the trouble. After all I caused the fight," Korra stood up, "Thanks again for the drink and tobacco!"

Korra grabbed her tobacco and ran to Naga. She threw the tobacco on her mare's side, and was about to climb on her horse.

"You forgot your hat, Korra," Asami waved her black hat.

Korra walked over and took it from her, "Your husband must be really lucky to have someone like you."

"Not married, never once was," she smiled at her.

Korra didn't notice her face of relief as she fit her hat on her "Then whoever you marry s'gonna be a lucky man."

Korra turned around and walked back to her mare but stopped in her tracks, "I'm not the marrying type who marries a man."

Korra looked up at Asami, "I should be going, Miss Asami. Thanks again for the help."

"Korra! I'm pretty sure those men will be looking for a redskin woman for the rest of the night. I can't allow you to go out there," Asami pulled off her hat, "And my best guess it's been a while since you've seen a real bed?"

"Yeah. Real long time," Korra blushed.

Asami pulled on her hands, "Then why don't you share mine?"

Korra smiled, "I'd like that."

* * *

Asami led Korra by her hand to her bedroom at the second floor, "It's not much but...

Korra's joy-filled face was enough to stop Asami from speaking, "It's perfect," Korra threw her hat on the ground and stripped down to her underclothes, "It's been a year since I've seen a bed this nice."

"Mind if you scoot over?" Korra looked up at Asami, dressed in nothing but a corset and underwear.

"A-Asami. Are you sure you should be wearing that?!" Korra covered her face.

Asami smiled and got into the bed next to Korra, "Should be wearing less?"

"N-n-no I'm just saying-

Asami kissed Korra on the lips and felt her face, "Shh. Don't talk. Just love me."

Asami held Korra close to her and waited for her answer. Korra got on top of Asami and opened her corset. Korra stopped moving when she saw her chest.

Asami held her hand, "It's ok. You don't have to be nervous."

Korra unbuttoned her underclothes and threw them off the bed, and kissed Asami's neck.

"You look beautiful," Asami whispered into her ear.

Korra stopped kissing Asami's neck and looked at her face, "You're the first person who's ever told me that."

Korra locked lips with Asami, while a single tear fell from her eye.

* * *

Asami woke up early in the morning, to no Korra besides her. Only a black hat on the floor. Asami put on a robe and grabbed the hat while she ran outside to see Korra sitting on her mare.

"You forgot your hat!" Korra turned around and held back a tear when she saw Asami waving her hat at her.

Korra rode Naga back to Asami and grabbed it, "Thanks."

"You forget your hat all the time, I think you need me to remember it for you," Asami touched Korra's arm, "Why are you leavin' me?"

"I don't think these people need to know a redskin woman lied with you," Korra looked away.

Asami looked down at the ground, "Don't leave yet. I got something for you."

Korra took a deep breath and waited for her return. She saw Asami run out of the bar with a few bags.

"Take all this. It's on the house," Asami handed Korra the bag.

Korra looked inside and saw containers of tobacco, feed, and water. Korra looked at Asami while she tied the bag to her back. Korra leaned over Naga and gave Asami a kiss.

Asami touched Korra's face, not wanting their kiss to end. Korra parted from Asami and grabbed Naga's reins.

"Thanks for all the help. I'll remember you," Korra smiled at her half-heartedly before she whipped Naga's reins.

Naga galloped through town, leaving Asami behind. She fought desperately not to cry while she rode out of town.

"HEY!"

Korra stopped Naga and looked back at Asami, "Me and my bar will always be open for you!"

Korra stared at her for a long time before waving her hat at Asami. Asami smiled while Korra rode out of town and into the desert once more.


End file.
